Tribe will raise cigarette fees by $2 per carton

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council announced Saturday that they plan to raise cigarette fees they impose at tribally licensed businesses.

Chief Mark Garrow said the $2 increase will apply “across the board” to both national and local brands and that money from the increase will be used solely to fund additional health care needs at the tribe.

“As much as I hate to raise fees, the need is greater,” Chief Garrow said.

The announcement was made at the monthly tribal meeting. At the same meeting, Debbie Martin, Director of Health Services gave a presentation on the need for a chronic care nursing program within the tribal health services. Martin gave figures and statistics and said she is proposing a program that will begin with five additional health care workers being hired if funding for the program comes through.

However, before Chief Garrow announced Council’s plan to collect more money from storeowners, Justin Tarbell, President of the Akwesasne Convenience Store Association, said the ACSA passed a resolution last month stating that they would give the money needed for Martin’s program.

“If Tribal Council is not able to fund that, we’d be more than happy to,” Tarbell said.

Martin’s program needs more than $400,000.

Once Chief Garrow made news of the cigarette fee increase known, a debate began and Tarbell defended the ACSA’s desire to fund the health care program independently. Likewise, Chief Garrow defended Tribal Council’s desire to fund it through the fee increase.

“The beauty of it is, unlike grants, by collecting our own fees we have the ability (to prove we are self-sufficient)…we don’t have to answer to anybody,” Chief Garrow said. “This is a way where we don’t have strings attached to it.”

Tarbell explained his unhappiness with the announcement and Chief Garrow said Tribal Council is willing to meet with the ACSA on certain issues like minimal pricing, enforcing a Canadian exchange rate and offering discounted petroleum to tribal members

The increase in fees will be enforced early in the New Year at tribally licensed retailers.